There's Life in Death
by Optimistic Insomniac
Summary: Matthew Williams was just an ordinary boy no one noticed. He didn't feel like he belonged anywhere. But one day, the day of his graduation, something changed his life forever. He met someone familiar, but not familiar enough. As Matthew learns what happened to him, he finds out what his purpose is. I can't choose only two genres, so you get romance and humour. I suck at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

White. There is no colour as pure as white. Or so I thought. I don't see the white you would call pure. I see the hue of many colours combined, swirling rapidly until they meet at one point. That point, oh, that immaculate point, is the brightest the intense shade could possible get. Or maybe that's just me...

I watch as the spiralling colours abruptly stop, causing my heart to do the same. My hands, my hands, they start to fade. They start to fade until there is nothing left of them. I look around I fear, hoping that there will be someone in this abyss that I have found myself in, but there is no one. I am alone.

I was always alone. With my own family, I was still alone. Nobody noticed. Nobody helped. Nobody cared.

I look away because I know the fading is spreading. It will not stop at my hands. I can feel the tingling sensation pulse through my arms as they disappear into the nothingness around me.

I shouldn't have thrown that party. I shouldn't have gone on the pier. I shouldn't have been born.

_No._

I must not think of that. My life was good. My life was great if you could call it that. I graduated university recently. I graduated today. I was valedictorian.

My younger brother, Michael, convinced me to through a beach party. He wanted to hang around university graduates. I let him plan the party, and it was amazing. People actually showed up. People noticed me for the first time in years.

A group of students actually paid attention to me long enough to convince me to walk along the pier with them. It was fun, until...

I was leaning against the railing of the pier with my ex-classmates, and it broke. I didn't fall. I didn't fall, I was so lucky that I didn't fall. But Louisa did.

Louisa was the one girl in the group. She apparently 'learned to put up with the guys'. She was pretty. She was beautiful. I will never say that to her face. I will never see her face again.

I dove after her. I couldn't just let her fall. I wanted to be a hero for once.

I was so stupid. I could have let her fall, or let one of the guys save her, but I went after her anyways. I was never the strongest swimmer, I knew that. But I was able to save a dolphin trapped in garbage. I was in the news for that. Correction - the dolphin was in the news, I was not. The only mention of me was in fine print under the photo: 'Boy, Matthew, saves dolphin.'

I know I got Louisa to shore. I know I did. The last thing I heard was my brother shouting, asking if she was OK. She replied with a cough and a groan. He didn't notice me.

He didn't notice me! My own brother didn't even know I was in the water! And if he did, he didn't seem to care.

I try to stop that wretched memory from replaying in my head as a single tear falls down from my closed eyes onto my cheek.

There was no one there for me in life. There is no one here now.

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**A/N: Hey guys... -v- I'm writing my first Hetalia fanfic! I hope you like it! It's a birthday present from me to you, because it's my birthday. (I like giving things to people instead of receiving them on my b-day, even though my friends are too sweet and got me stuff anyways! Donc, bonne fete a moi et vous!)**

**WARNING:**

**I don't do accents, and I don't use Google Translate for French.**


	2. Chapter 2

When I finally decide to open my eyes, I find myself standing on the pier again, under the light of trillions of stars. That isn't right. The beach is too close to the city to see this many stars. The moon was shining as bright as sunlight glistening on freshly laid snow on a cold winter's day.

I take a few cautious steps forward, careful not to slip on the damp wood. I walk up to where I was standing with my classmates before... that happened.

I'm still not entirely sure what happened anyways. All I know is that Louisa fell into the rough sea, I dove after her, and she made it to safety. I don't even know what happened to me.

Did no one notice that I was missing when they ended the party? Did my brother forget me _again_?

I sigh as I walk back down the pier to the beach. I couldn't have been forgotten that easily, right? I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if I was, but, that entire scenario seemed a bit unforgettable.

The beach looks so beautiful under the moonlight. Each individual shimmering droplet flows through the undiscovered plane that is the ocean; the sand, soft, cool crystals spawned in eternal dunes and ripples.

The beach looks so natural... As if no one's been here in years...

As I make it to the sand, the refreshing chill makes for a good shock. If only I had some friends to be here with me to enjoy this with me.

I continue to walk along the shore, keeping a slow, steady pace - not wanting to miss a single bit of the marvelous beauty. There seems to be no form of life aside from me, and the palm trees and sea grass scattered along the coast.

I decide to sit on the sand to finally relax. The waves in front of me are much too calming, it would be impossible to leave now.

Before I know it, I can see faint hues of oranges and pinks paint the sky. The air was much warmer than before, but the sand beneath me felt like an icy frost. I should probably go visit my parents, I promised to visit them today.

I stand up and stretch, making sure to brush all the sand off of me as well. Maybe I should get something to eat too, for I haven't eaten in 36 hours. I scavenge the beach to find my shoes. I know I'll have to walk home, and I'm not going barefoot.

Alright, maybe I am walking home without shoes.

I head toward the wooden stairway between some dunes, but immediately stop. I need to take one more look at the beach before I go.

I turn my head to view the glimmering shine of the water, now with multiple colours dancing upon the gentle waves, and the sparkle of every grain of sand. The sky was painted by the hands of a child - every stroke something unique and magical. And amongst the middle of this spectacular scenery, there was the silhouette of a man.

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**A/N: Hi, I know I'm updating this a lot quicker than my previous fanfic, but I needed to get this out. I tried to write with similes and metaphors, but as you can see, that didn't work out so well... Thanks for reading! F&amp;F, R&amp;R and all that jazz! ^ -***


	3. Chapter 3

_Wait, what? How did he get here?_

I have no more time to evaluate how on Earth he got to the beach so quickly without a trace, for he is heading right toward me. He isn't walking like any normal person would, he is sprinting at full speed, he doesn't seem to slow down when he is a mere ten feet away from me.

I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. It feels weird to not be heard, even when I'm used to it. Even when I was ignored, I could still make a sound, but now, I can't.

I am tackled to the ground with the mighty force of the man's hug. I don't know why he's doing this, I don't even have the slightest clue who he is, I never saw his face.

"Oh my gosh you're here!" the man shouts as he rolls off of me and flops on the sandy ground beside me. I don't dare turn my head, I am in too much shock to move. "You're early! How could you do this! I had to rush here, do you know how hard it is to get to Quebec from Germany in such short notice?"

_I'm early? What am I early for? Who is this creep, and why did he tackle m- Wait, Germany? He came all the way to Canada from Germany just to see me (or someone who he thinks I am)._

"How could you get me so worried? You were supposed to get here next week! But you're here now, so there's nothing we can do about it. What do you want to do?" I see his head turn to face me out of the corner of my eye. I still don't move an inch. "Oh wait, I forgot, you can't talk yet! Wow, I can be so stupid sometimes... Why are you just lying there?"

Seriously, does this guy have an off button? He just said that I can't talk, and yet he asks me a question that I need to speak to give an answer to. I decide to turn my head to look at him so I can give a proper report to the police later.

I slowly tear my eyes away from the slowly brightening sky and rotate me head in the sand to look at his face. The first thing I see are his eyes.

His eyes are beautiful. They are my favourite colour - red. They shimmer in the dim light as if they had a light of their own to illuminate the crystalline orbs staring right back at me. The crimson gems have small flecks of blue and violet scattered throughout them, making them all the more magnificent. They were placed in a face of pale white skin that looked delicate enough to burn in at night. Just by looking at his face, I could tell his skin was much softer than anyone else that I've know in my life. His face was surrounded by messy, greyish-white hair that definitely needed to be brushed.

I know I need to look away, but I can't, those eyes are too captivating. Maybe now he'll realize his mistake, and leave me alone on the beach again.

_Why isn't he leaving? Who is he? He doesn't seem like he'd hurt me, but I don't know who he is! Maybe he's going to trick me into some false sense of security and then kill me! Wait, that's highly unlikely, he's too much of a blabber-mouth to kill someone successfully. I still need answers though..._

I know how to communicate with sign language, but I'm not sure if he will understand. I try anyway. I force myself to sit up properly and I put on a confused face. I only remember a bit of sign language, luckily, 'explain' is something I remember. I move my hands alternating between forward and backward in front of me. I hope the stranger understands.

"What?" he asks, sitting up as well.

I sigh and think of a much better idea. I move my finger through the sand, and I spell out the words I am trying to say.

_"Can you explain this to me?"_

"Oh," the man smiled, I noticed that he looks like he's around my age in the brighter light. "Of course I will! I just forgot! Well I guess I should introduce myself first. My name is Gilbert, Gilbert Beilschmidt."

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**A/N: Hey! I'm back and tired as ever! I hope this chapter was good, I tried my best to get the plot going here, but I'm pretty sure I failed miserably. My friend made me read the first two chapters to her a couple of days ago because she was too lazy to read it herself, so I purposely but on my best acting skills and read it as if I was in pain. She cried. I was happy. I will now give a virtual kiss to all of you reading this, and remember, je t'aime a la lune et retour. (I'll try to fix my computer so it will let me use accents. Au revoir!**


	4. Chapter 4

_Gilbert Beilschmidt... Why does that name sound familiar?_

I know I should tell Gilbert my name, he seems harmless enough, but I can't say anything. Why? I have no idea. I don't mind that much, though having a voice to introduce myself with would be extremely useful right now.

I must have remained unresponsive for too long, because Gilbert read my thoughts, "Don't worry, Matthew, I already know who you are."

_What? How? Who is he anyway?_

"We met before, a couple of times, actually. You probably don't remember, though, you were young," he pauses to think. "The first time we met was on your sixth birthday. I gave you the awesome stuffed polar bear."

_Wait, he's _that _guy? _I vaguely remember my sixth birthday, but I remember receiving Kumajiro with a bit more detail.

The only people who showed up to my party were my mom, Michael, and my friend - I don't remember his name, we stopped being friends when I was eight. I was really upset that no one had acknowledged my invitation, and I started to cry. After crying for while, a tall, white haired man looked over the fence to see me sniffling as he walked by. I thought nothing of it at the time, and I continued to silently cry in the corner while my mother took pictures of Michael and my friend eating my birthday cake.

The man with the silver hair came back shortly after, but he knocked on the gate to the backyard this time. No one noticed he was there except me, so I did what any curious, naive child would do: I let him in. The first thing he did was wrap me in a huge bear hug to get me to stop my crying. I'm not going to lie and say that it didn't help, it worked like a miracle, I had stopped crying as soon as the man touched my shoulder. His embrace was warm and comforting. I wanted to stay in his arms because no one, not even my parents, has given me a hug in a while, and love is something that ever child needs.

He smiled at me as he let me go and handed me a gift bag with a cute, yellow bird on it. Inside there was a card, I don't remember what was written on it, but I remember there was a really bad drawing of another bird on it. Messily wrapped in tissue paper, was a stuffed, white bear. Its fur was white like the fluffy clouds I remember floating through the sky, and it was soft to the touch. The tag was red like the mystery man's eyes, and it had my name on it.

I hugged the man's legs as a thank you before he leaned down and gave me another hug and he kissed me gently on the forehead. He stayed for the rest of the party, but for some reason, no one acknowledged him being there either.

_He doesn't look that different, not even a bit older. How is that even possible, it was seventeen years ago?_

"The second time," Gilbert's voice snaps me back to the present, "was when you were eleven, and you were on a nature walk with you grade six class to Niagara Falls. Your class left you by the river when you stopped to tie your shoes," there was a bit of venom in his voice at that. "You looked around for your class and you couldn't find them. You ended up slipping on the dock you were told to go to if you got separated from the group - which is the stupidest rule ever. Why would you tell a bunch of children it's alright to just go on the dock without supervision when you're lost. If it was _me_ put in charge, I would have actually made sure that everyone was with me at all ti-"

I cough a bit to cut off Gilbert's rambling, hoping he would get back to the story, I don't remember this. It's interesting to hear that he thinks he knows my life better than I do.

"Oh, sorry, I was rambling... where was I?" he paused to remember what he's told me already. "Right! You slipped on the dock, and you hit your head on one of the dock's support poles, and you fell into the river. I saw you fall, and I had to go out into the freezing cold river to save you from either drowning or having an awful violent death from plummeting down the falls. We were so lucky I was there with one of my best friends - he has the best healthcare in the world - and he was able to save you in time."

_How can a person have the best healthcare in the world? He was probably just exaggerating. But did he really save my life?_

"And I was also there at your high school graduation too. You didn't see me, but I was there."

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**A/N: Here's a chapter I wrote when I was supposed to be doing my homework today. I know this chapter is basically all flashback, but it is kind of necessary for plot development. I think. Oh yeah, I meant to say this in chapter two, if it wasn't clear before, Michael and Louisa are just my OCs who are mere mortals with no ties to the countries whatsoever, and you probably won't hear much about them again. I know I didn't put too much detail in here, but it will get better, I promise.**

**Before I forget, Matthew grew up in southern Ontario, and moved to Quebec for university. His family also moved with him even though it seems like they don't care that much. Fun Fact: the Niagara River is about the same width as a small lake where you would have a cottage and go fishing on. It is freezing cold, and is not fun if you fall in. I don't remember how far away from the falls the docks are, but its close enough that is you stay completely still and just float, you will be dragged by the current toward the 51m (just over 167ft) drop.**

**Au revoir. ( *3^)~3**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Bonjour! I would first like to apologise for the wait, I had this typed up last week but never got the chance to post it - wifi problems *sheds tear*. Secondly, I finally got the accents to work on my computer, so if I can find the time, I might fix up the other chapters that need accents (I think it's just my author's notes that need them. Oops). I think I forgot to mention this last chapter, but the "guy with the best healthcare" is France if you don't know anything about world healthcare (I didn't know, I had to look it up). Next, I would just like you to know that the things I've said about the Niagara River being freezing, that was just my personal opinion from when I visited last summer. Also this chapter is a bit longer, and also in the awesome Gilbert's point of view.**

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_Saturday, June 6, 2015; 11:04am._

_I formally met the awesome Matthew Williams today. Sort of. He just arrived last night, and he still cannot speak. I, the awesomeness that I am, would have given him that privilege long before he would have realized that he couldn't talk. I told him the stories of when we met, but unfortunately, he couldn't reply to the awesome me. Once tomorrow comes though, I can finally hear that awesome voice that I have become familiar with over the years. __Maybe he'll tell me stories from his experiences as a human._

I aggressively scratch out the last sentence I wrote in my journal - if anyone reads that, they won't think I'm as awesome as I truly am - and I think I should rewrite the entry completely. I can't just leave it printed on paper that I've let Matthew see me before today. I continue to think about what I should write as I look over at the man sipping a tea across the small table we're sitting at.

He is looking out the window beside us in the small café I took him to. His hair is ash blonde and slightly wavy with a single curl sticking out of the side of his head. He had that curl for as long as I've known him - so, since he was born basically. His eyes are a light shade of violet, or maybe pale indigo, either way, they are wide and sparkling behind his wire-rimmed glasses. He is wearing what I know he wore last night, but it's no longer wet from when he dove into the sea. It consists of a pair of denim Bermuda shorts and a baggy t-shirt that has a suit printed on it. We also managed to find his shoes so he wouldn't have to walk barefoot.

After I finished explaining to him that we've met before, I took him to get a tea. I didn't get anything, I was too busy thinking about how awesome it will be to finally be able to hang out with Matthew. I've known him ever since he was born, and I've seen him on countless occasions, but he was never able to see me. It was something about being a country and something else that I don't remember.

He is currently blowing on his tea softly to cool it down, a light blush on his cheeks. I let a small smile slip onto my face as I remember how I had 'convinced' Matthew to let me buy him a drink.

I finally had gained his trust after talking to him for a couple of hours, and he let me drive him to this small cafe. He didn't know we were going here, he thought I was taking him into town to find someone he knew to tell me how to get him home because that's what I told him we were doing. Oops. Sometimes you gotta tell a small lie to get to know someone.

I told him I was going to buy him something as I pulled into the parking lot, and he refused before I could finish my awesome sentence. It hadn't been much, what, with the lack of speech, but he still tried to make it clear that he didn't want to be a bother. There was no way in hell I was going to accept his refusal.

I parked the car, and walked to the passenger door after I got out. I was surprised to find it locked when I tried to open it - he must have locked his door when I got out. Luckily, I had the remote for the awesome rental car I got, and I unlocked the door. I opened it before Matthew had any time to even process the fact that his door was in fact unlocked. The next part wasn't so fun.

Matthew refused to move off of the seat, so naturally, I had to drag him out of the car. Man, that guy can put up a fight. I like to say that I'm strong, but I'm pretty sure Matthew's strength exceeded mine. I don't think the car rental place is going to want their car back...

Once I had finally managed to get him out of the car, he hid behind me at light speed. Now that I think about it, it must have been unawesomely embarrassing to have to have been dragged out of a vehicle in a public space. I suppose my constant shouting in German wan't helping his situation either.

But now, here we sit in a café, with all that struggling behind us. I could call it perfect. Almost.

I still have to finish explaining to him this whole situation, and I'm not looking forward to the reaction. Based on what I know about Matthew, he won't take this news well; he might give me the silent treatment (more so than now), become depressed, be angry, or be in-denial - that was my problem, I completely denied it when it happened to me. It would probably be the best idea to tell him somewhere else, but I'm going to let him enjoy his tea before I crush his spirit.

I look up and Matthew is almost done his tea. _Sheiße!_ He looks up expectantly at me, and I realize I just said that out loud. Now I need to explain...

"Um..." I pause to think of something other than earth-shattering news. "I think I left the tap running back home..."

_Really? That's the awesomest thing I could think of? Oh well, I can't take it back._

A small smile crept its way on Matthew's face. He thought that was funny. I guess it sort of is funny, me leaving the water running back in Germany... _sheiße, _I think I might have actually done that! I'm just glad I live with my brother.

"I guess we should get going," I say reluctantly, eyeing his empty mug. "Don't worry, I'm not tricking you this time."

I stand up, and Matthew doesn't follow.

_What? Does he still not trust me completely? Why is he so stubborn?_

"Are you coming?"

Matthew looks up from the table, and points to my journal still resting on top. I immediately snatch it up along with Matthew's arm and drag him out of the café. Out of the corner of my eye, I swear I could see him smiling.

As soon as we get back to the car, I noticed how bad the damage actually was. The passenger's headrest was torn right off of the seat, and a lot of the seams ripped with bits of the stuffing hanging out of it.

Matthew has a guilty look on his face and I can tell he feels he's responsible for this. He reaches into his pocket, and pulls out his wallet. I stop him before he can continue; there is no way I'm letting him pay for this, I'll give Ludwig the honour of paying for our awesome destruction.

"Bruder will pay for it, don't worry," I tell Matthew with a reassuring smile. "I'll call a taxi!" I pull out my phone, and find the number for the taxi service in my contacts. This isn't the first time I've been here and needed a ride. I complete the call and a taxi is soon driving up to us.

"Bonjour, où allez-vous?" the driver asks me as I get in, followed hesitantly by Matthew. I've become familiar with that phrase meaning '_where are you going' _over many years.

I know that Matthew can't reply, so I tell the driver to drop us off at a street where I know there is a car rental place.

The car ride is silent with the exception of the hum of the engine. It gives me some time to prepare how I'm going to break the news.

I take it back, that wasn't enough time. We arrive at the corner of Rue de Parc and Rue d'Èrable, right by the rental-car lot. Or the hotel behind it. I lead Matthew toward the main building in the car lot, then go around it as if we were going in through the back entrance. But to Matthew's surprise I lead him to the hotel because I can't just tell him the thing that I've been stressing about for over twenty three years in public. I have to take him by the wrist and drag him (again) into the hotel.

We pass by one of the maids, and she greets me with a smile. I've come here so often that all the staff recognizes me by face and name. I (Ludwig really) paid a lot of money to get a room always reserved for me as soon as I enter the building. They always keep one room vacant in case if I make a surprise visit. It's kind of funny what people will do once they find out you're really a country and your here 'on business'.

Once we get to my room - Room 121 - I unlock it and shove Matthew inside before me. I make him sit down on the small couch across from the TV, and I sit down next to him. He looks pissed. I guess I would be too if someone who I barely know and just formally met that day dragged me to a random hotel.

Now I need to explain myself.

"Matthew," I turn my head so I don't have to face him. "I need to tell you something," Matthew stands up and begins to head toward the door. I grab his wrist and look him in those beautiful eyes when he turns his head. He still looks angry, but I notice his face soften when our gazes meet. I gently pull him back to the couch to sit with me again, and he complies.

"Matthew," I start again, "I'm going to tell you something that may be kind of a shock, so don't freak out, alright?" I loosen my grip on his wrist and move my hand so it's grasping his. "I'm not who you think I am." I know this wasn't that much of a shock, it was already clear he didn't completely trust me. "You are not who you think you are. I am Gilbert Beilschmidt, personification of Prussia; and you are Matthew Williams, personification of, well I don't know yet."

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**A/N: Yay, long chapter! This one was fun to write, especially because now I can include French words with accents without feeling guilty. I'm not exactly sure how the street names work in Quèbec, because I've never actually been, but I'm pretty sure they're correct. If not, then they're _Rue Parc _and _Rue Èrable_ (without 'de'). They translate to Park St. and Maple St.**

**I hope you don't mind, but I have a headcanon that Matthew is really stubborn, but he will secretly feel really bad the whole time.**

**I can't wait to publish the next chapter, it's going to be pretty interesting (I hope). Merci pour la bonne réponse.**


	6. Chapter 6

Matthew stares at me blankly. I'm not sure how he took this. He probably thinks I'm joking. I guess my awesome personality prevents people from believing I'm being sincere. I should continue, but I can't. I need to know what he's thinking, but I can't hear his voice until he accepts what's happened.

"You probably think I'm joking, but I'm absolutely serious. I represent Prussia, my brother represents Germany, and there's a person for almost every other country. You are one of us - or, one of _them_, I should say. I'm not supposed to exist any more..." I drift off at the end of my sentence as those awful memories fill my head.

Matthew is now looking at me as if I have a couple of screws loose.

_I haven't even got to the most important part yet! I don't want to tell him, but the awesome that is me can handle it. Hopefully..._

"This also might sound a little bit crazy, but it's one hundred percent true, so no denying it, alright?" he is still looking at me like that. I don't like it. "You... _we_, aren't actually... alive any more..." I let this sink in and his gaze slowly changes from one of disturbance to one of confusion and fear. "You... sort of died last night..."

Matthew removes his hand from mine and lowers his gaze. I wish he didn't move his hand, I liked the warm feeling seeping into my skin where we made contact. Why did I have to tell him, again? Right, before the others blurted it out.

"You were chosen to represent a country from before you were born, and that allows you to continue living your life. I know I must sound completely crazy, but this is really happening."

I see Matthew close his eyes and take a deep breath. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. There's still more I have to tell him though.

"You were supposed to... uh... 'come' next Tuesday, but you sacrificed yourself for that girl. If you hadn't jumped in to save her, she would have died, and the world would have one less soul. You kind of changed the future and your own destinies. Somehow. In a way, you're a huge hero. America is going to be jealous..." I let out a light chuckle as I say the last sentence.

Matthew still has his eyes closed, and it looks like he stopped breathing. He is now extremely pale, and if he wasn't sitting up perfectly straight, I would have thought he was dead - err, well, deceased.

"I know you can't speak at the moment, but that'll wear off eventually. Just don't go on denying it like I did when it happened to me however many years ago. You probably want to call me a liar, or say something to deny it, or maybe just lash out at me right this second. If you do, I can take it." _I'll take the pain..._

Matthew moves his hand, and grasps mine in it again, but tightly this time. A single tear falls from his closed eyes, and he turns and leans into me so his chin is resting on my shoulder. With my free hand, I wrap my arm around his back gently. He tenses up a bit, but then relaxes when I begin to breathe a bit more steadily; I must have been a bit shaky.

I don't know how long we've been sitting on the couch, with Matthew silently shedding tears in my embrace, when he wraps his own arms around me and I hear a very faint but still audible, "I believe you."

I was shocked at how quickly he's accepted this and regained his voice, but I don't care. That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. I'm not sure if it was because he actually believes me rather than denying it, or the fact that his voice is so soft and gentle, that those three simple words comforted me more than anything else I've come across with.

I tighten our embrace, glad that I can finally hear his soft voice flow up to my ear. I know he really means that he believes me. If he didn't, he couldn't have just spoken to me.

"Danke..." I stay there, with my arms wrapped around the blonde for as long as I can. I don't move. He doesn't move. The world has disappeared.

_This is nice... why can't we just stay like this forever?_

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, as my phone rings. Both Matthew and I are hesitant on ending the embrace, but I break it first, it might be important.

I pull my phone out of my pocket, and I answer, giving the man beside me an apologetic look.

"Hallo?"

"_Preußen! Where are you?! You have a meeting to go to tomorrow, and it's almost midnight! Get your arsch over here immediately!"_

Oh. I forgot I had a meeting tomorrow. My brother is hosting it, and I'm expected to be there. Oops.

"Bruder, I'm going to have to call you back."

_"Preußen, you can't just ignore me! Get back here n-"_

_"Hi Prussia! It's Italy! Hi! Isn't Luddy being such a grump? Ve~"_

I don't have time for this! I hang up the phone, and turn back to Matthew who is looking way past confused.

"That was my younger brother. He's very..." I pause to think of the right word, "responsible." I think about what Ludwig told me. "Matthew, what time is it?"

"Um, just past six, why?" I stop myself from sighing as I hear his voice again. If it's five o'clock here, then it's eleven in Germany... It takes ten and a half hours to get there, and the meeting's at ten.

"How would you like to go to Germany?"

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**A/N: Hello! I'm back and I brought Germany and Veneziano with me! I should have mentioned background ships in the summary, but I ran out of room. I guess I should tell you them now:**

**PruCan (obviously), GerIta, Spamano, FrUk, maybe RusAme. Maybe.**

**Just to let you know, I am most likely awful with time zone calculations, and Germany is five hours ahead of Quebec (I think), so if anything seems a bit off now or in the future, tell me. Also, I'm not entirely sure of the flight times, but some websites I checked said it took about ten hours and fifteen minutes to get from Quebec to Germany or vice versa, I just rounded it to ten and a half for convenience.**

**I also typed this on my phone, so it probably has plenty of mistakes.**

**＼(◎▽◎)／← this thing scares me. I like it.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Bonjour mes amis! It's been too long since I've updated this! I apologise greatly for this. But I have a valid excuse! I am taking summer classes. By choice. I regret it so much, but it will be worth it when school starts back up again. I've been working on my class for the past month, and I have another week left of this course then I start another one for three weeks. I should be finished my classes by August 17th or sooner. But that still might mean an unbalanced updating schedule, so bear with me.**

**Enjoy!**

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_***Matthew's POV***_

_"How would you like to go to Germany?"_

"W-what?" stupid stuttering. But really, what kind of question is that? I just meet the guy, find out I'm dead and have some important stuff going on with my... _life_, and now he wants to take me to Germany. What's next?We run into Cookie Monster on the street and he happens to be Gilbert's long lost cousin?

"I have this totally unawesome meeting to go to in Germany, and it's kind of tomorrow, so yeah," Gilbert tells me as if it explains everything.

"Why do _I_ have to go, though?" why can't I speak louder than just above a whisper? At least he can hear me I guess.

"You kind of have to go too..."

Well. That's it. I'm leaving. I stand up, and am about to walk out the door for the second time, when I feel a hand around my wrist. Again. I want to pull my hand away, I am trying with all of my brain power to will my arm to move, but it won't. It just feels so good to have him hold my wrist like that. Instead, I turn back around, and my focus is immediately drawn to his sparkling, rufescent eyes.

_This is the second time this has happened today. N-not that I'm complaining. But it's not that I _like _it. Right...?_

"Why do I have to go?" that came out with a bit of unintentional venom, I'll have to apologise later when the mood is right.

"Like I said, you are a personification, and personifications have to go to meetings. Often. All the time. It's way too unawesome for me," I let Gilbert slowly pull me back to the small couch again. This time, he releases his grip on my arm all together.

"Well, when you say it like that..." I need something clever to say, but like usual, I can't think of anything, "it sounds even more boring and... 'unawesome'," I try out Gilbert's word to describe the meeting, and it kind of makes sense. Sort of.

"Exactly, that's a perfectly good reason why you should come!" Gilbert is doing a very bad job in convincing me to go with him. Something must be up.

"Are you just doing this so that you won't be bored at the meeting?" I ask, this time, somewhat audible.

"No no no!" he shakes his head and begins to laugh. It is a very unusual laugh, but I like it, it suits him. "...Maybe."

I want to get up again, but I don't want the same situation to happen three times. Instead, I plant my face firmly in the palm of my hand.

"Gilbert, why are you doing this?" yay, we're back to whispering, are we?

"I was just messing around," he removes my hand from my face and lifts my head up so I can see him properly again. "You need to find a sense of humour. Sure, it won't be as awesome as mine, but, considering how awesome you already are, it could come pretty close."

At first, I found that statement to be insulting, but in the end, I felt heat build up on my face. I don't know why, really all he did was find a way to compliment himself while insulting (and complimenting, I guess) me.

"Alright, I've had my fun, now it's time to get serious," the face he puts on after he said that is priceless. It involves a very 'stern' look plastered on his pale face. It doesn't look right at all. It looks way too unnatural. I can't help but let out a small giggle. "Matthew, I don't know what you're laughing about, but we're being serious now. Pay attention."

How does he do that? He said that with such a straight face that drives me to laugh yet again.

"Sorry..."

"We need to get ready because we need to leave as soon as possible!"

"What happened to 'being serious'?" I mumble under my breath, hoping he won't hear me this time. "I never said I was going with you," I point out, louder this time.

"Yeah," he sounds like a whining schoolgirl, "but Mattie, please!"

_Mattie? _I allow a faint blush to form on my face after hearing the nickname.

"I know what'll change your mind. I've never seen you be late once in your life - don't think I'm some unawesome creepy stalker, I can tell you're thinking that," how he knew that, I have no idea, but I'll let him continue, "so if I tell you that if _we_ want to be at the meeting in time, we have to be on a plane in less than half an hour, will you come?"

_What the heck!? He expects me to comply because of that? Well, now I want to help him get ready for his flight... Seriously, how does he do that?_

"I won't come, but I'll help you get ready so you're not late," I tell him, carefully choosing my words, so I don't give the wrong impression.

It seems like that was enough to satisfy him, as his mouth forms a smirk that I've seen way too many times in the short while I've known him.

"Well, let's get ready then!"

It didn't take very long to get Gilbert ready - he didn't bring much with him when he came to Canada - so we left after five minutes. He convinced me to come with him to the airport, which I see no harm in doing, so it was an easy win for him.

We had to rent another car because I... kind of... destroyed the other one... Oops.

At the moment, I'm currently driving the rented car to the airport while Gilbert is lounging around in the passenger's seat. I made sure to be the one driving because I don't want him to pull a ruse on me.

He's kept that smirk on his face ever since we left the hotel, and it's starting to creep me out.

"Gilbert?"

"Yes, Mattie~?"

Why did he have to say it like that? I felt the heat building up on my cheeks again.

"Um, is your face alright?" I ask him. I thought I would be more subtle than that, but I guess I just ripped off the bandaid instead.

"What?" he sat up straight, and that smirk he had on disappeared without a trace.

"Sorry! I meant that you've, uh, been smirking this whole time, I thought it would get uncomfortable after a while... Sorry..." that went absolutely awfully.

I was met with a very uncomfortable silence. Honestly, I want to disappear just like I always seemed to do before all this happened.

"Kesesesesese!" I'm not exactly sure why he's laughing or how I'm supposed to react to this, so I join him with my own (quiet) laugh. "Mattie, you're too funny! If you know me, I'm always like that!"

I let his laughter die down before I said, "I don't know you..."

If I have regretted anything in my entire life, this seems to blow all the other times away. This silence is even worse than the previous ones as we let that realization sink in.

Why am I even in a car with someone I just met this morning? I have a very vague idea of who he is, and he seems to know plenty about me. Maybe this was a bad idea...

We got to the airport very shortly after, and I rushed to get out of the car.

"Woah, Mattie, are you that eager to go to Germany with me? You got out of the car pretty fast!" and that smirk made a reappearance, but this time, there was something else that I couldn't place hidden in his eyes.

"I told you, I'm not going," I sighed.

The next little while went like this:

We spent a very short time going through security and luggage check because Gilbert had next to nothing with him, and there was some sort of special treatment for personifications or something. I'm actually quite surprised at how quick and easy this was going, it was as if all the staff here recognized Gilbert and didn't even put that much effort when it came to him.

Or me. They didn't see me.

I still didn't know why I was following this guy around an airport, but I guess it was fine because there wasn't much he could do with so much security. I believed what he told me earlier, but that doesn't mean that I trust him.

We made it to where Gilbert said his plane would be, and I was more than ready to walk out of the airport and go home to get some food. I was starving! I still am actually...

"Thank you for explaining stuff to me and for the tea. I really am sorry about the car earlier though..." I began my quick goodbye because I didn't want him to be late for his 'unawesome' meeting. "And for speaking to you so rudely earlier..."

He looked utterly confused after I said the last part. Oh well.

"Have a safe tr-" I was cut off as my right hand was grabbed and I was pulled into a hug.

"Are you going to miss the awesome me?" Gilbert asked as he intertwined our fingers and he let out a slight laugh.

"Uh..." I could tell that my face was definitely red. "Sure?"

"I can tell you this, Mattie," he whispered into my ear, "I am not going to miss you."

I am not going to lie when I say that statement really hurt. I know I only met the guy, but you can't just tell someone something like that before going across the globe.

"W-what?" I didn't even bother scolding myself for stuttering at that point.

I didn't even get an answer, all that I got was a tug on the arm and a shove. I don't really remember what happened after that until I was sitting down.

On a plane.

"Did you just... kidnap me?"

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**A/N: Don't freak out about this chapter, it's just what came out! I know there's the whole trust issue going on, but I kind of need that for plot development. Gibert did NOT, I repeat, NOT kidnap Matthew. It will be explained in future chapters. Whether he did or not does not mean its OK for anyone to kidnap people though, and I am highly against it.**

**Also, if you haven't already noticed, I started another fic! It's called 'Life as We Know it', and it;s a RussiaxOC story. I personally think it will end up being pretty adequate, but that's just my own opinion. If you have the time, check out the first (and only, so far) chapter please.**

***virtual kisses* Au revoir!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I am so absolutely, utterly sorry for this wait! I know I finished my summer classes almost a month ago, but I did warn about the possibility of an unbalanced (even more so) updating schedule. On the bright side, I got 95% if you were wondering. You weren't? Okay.**

**There was also a problem with the internet in my house. I had this all typed up on my computer the day of my exam, but I couldn't post it because of the stupid internet. (I am sorry internet gods, please forgive me). Then the file got deleted, so I had to retype it.**

**Please enjoy this chapter. (I know it's short, but please bear with me)**

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**_*Matthew's POV*_**

"Did you just... kidnap me?"

Gilbert looks at me with fake hurt written all over his face.

"Mattie! Why would you ever think that?"

Did he really just ask that? Well, Gilbert, I can tell you a few reasons why I think that: one, I was practically dragged here by the 'awesome' you; two, you were smirking the entire trip to the airport, and even while we were there, which will definitely make me believe that this was planned; three, I am now siTTING ON A PLANE I AM NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ON.

Of course I don't say that out loud, that would be rude. Instead, I say, "Um, maybe because you brought me onto a plane?"

"You aren't playing this game right," Gilbert whined.

Really, though, what kind of game is this? _'Let's see who can drag the other onto a plane and take them to another country across an ocean and pretend nothing's wrong.'_? Well, Gilbert is definitely winning if that's the case!

"Alright, seriously, you really do have to be at this unawesome meeting," he sighed. "I'm not kidnapping you, I got you cleared with security. Don't you remember? It was just before we got on."

"I-I don't remember that."

I don't know what happened, but Gilbert's face turned a light shade of pink. He also turned his head into the aisle to avoid making eye contact with me. Honestly, if I could put this into one word, it would be adora-

What am I thinking? This guy, this guy that I just met a few hours ago, has told me I am dead, has told me that I'm some sort of 'personification', has illegally (at least, not according to him) brought me onto a plane that is leaving in, I don't know, two minutes maybe?

"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Alexis, and I'll be your chief flight attendant. At this time, please make sure your seatbelts are correctly fastened and your tray-tables are in their full upright position. We also advise you that any and all electronic equipment must be turned off. Thank you."

Zero minutes. The plane is leaving in zero minutes.

I tug on Gilbert's arm so that he has to look at me again.

"Gilbert, I need to get off this plane right now."

"Mattie," he starts, a stern look on his face once again, "you need to be at the meeting. I already told you that."

He tried to turn back in his chair so he was facing forward again, but I wouldn't have that.

"Gilbert, I don't think you understand. That isn't the only issue," I press on.

He sighed. He actually sighed. I'm not that pathetic, am I?

"What is it?" I finally realized how tired he looks. I guess I never took into consideration the fact that he just flew from Germany to Canada, and he rushed a lot just to make it back to the plane to take him back. Not to mention the struggles I put up.

"Uh..." I momentarily forgot what I was going to say. "I, um, haven't actually been on a plane before, and by the amount of things you seem to know about me, I would have thought that you would know that."

That seemed to get him to pay attention.

"Why didn't you tell my awesomeness sooner?"

It's my turn to sigh.

"It wasn't important then."

"You aren't afraid of heights are you?"

Yes. "No," I'm such a liar, I need to apologise. Not now though.

"Okay, that's go- hey, don't lie to the awesome me!"

How does he always know what I'm thinking!?

"...wish you all an enjoyable flight."

Wait, what? Was that the safety presentation? That means... I need to get out of here right now.

Gilbert must have noticed my panic, because he grabbed my right hand to either try and stop my struggle, or to comfort me. Either way, I have mixed feelings about it.

"Mattie, Matthew, everything will be fine, I've been on planes too many times to count."

That isn't going to work on me, it's cliché, and overused in so many books and movies. I know that this attitude isn't helping my situation, I need to trust this man and just accept the fact that there isn't anything I can do about it.

It still won't work.

"Oh shut up will you!"

Did I just say that? Yes, I did. I feel _so_ bad! I shouldn't have been so rude, I've never said anything like that to anyone before, except maybe that one person who dissed hockey right to my face.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! I would never say anything like that to anyone especially you," what am I saying exactly? "Please don't be ma-"

"Kesesese! Mattie, you're awesome! Look out the window!"

I complied because it doesn't seem like he's mad at me. I still feel bad though.

I turn my head to look out the small window beside me. I see the ground. Far below.

I forgot that I was holding Gilbert's hand, but I think I may be crushing it now. I don't care, I'm in the air, I need some sort of stability.

"Fuck..." I am not entirely sure if I said that because of this situation, or if Gilbert said it because I was using his hand as a stress ball.

I finally tore my eyes away from the window to look at Gilbert. He had his usual smirk on, but his eyes gave away that he was in pain. I know he won't admit it, but it's obvious.

Reluctantly, I let go of his hand. Only to immediately latch onto his arm. He forced me on this plane, he's paying the consequences.

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**A/N: This chapter is really cliché, I know, but I need a nap. Not that that will happen any time soon.**

**On another note, I accidentally called my Italian teacher Mr. Vargas today. It was embarrassing.**


	9. Chapter 9

_***Gilbert's POV***_

_Sunday, June 7, 2015; XX:XXam. Somewhere in the air._

_I successfully 'kidnapped' Matthew Williams today. At least, that's what he called it. Currently, we are on the plane flying back to Berlin. I would check the time, but I forgot my phone in Canada because Matthew made me forget. Nah, he's too awesome for it to be his fault. Well, I would ask him the time, but he's sleeping right now, and I don't want to wake him. He _just_ fell asleep! It only took him eight hours! I can't blame him for that either though because he's apparently afraid of flying._

_The more time that passes, the sooner we get to the meeting, and really, I'm kind of nervous. How will everyone else react to a new personification now? The last one we got was around twenty years ago... That meeting wasn't a fun one. We don't even know what country Matthew's the personification of anyway. He could be a micronation like that sea-kid for all I know. What if they don't like him? Wait... that's impossible – how can anyone not like Mattie?_

_I know I've written while on a plane before, but it seems to be getting more difficult for me. Maybe because I'm getting old. HA! I'm too awesome to be getting old! Like that will stop me any time soon. I mean, look at China! Nah, it's probably because Mattie is CLINGING TO MY ARM! He has been doing this for the entire flight, and I must say, although it is getting a bit uncomfortable, it is a vast improvement from him killing my hand. But really though, I need to pee._

_Wait, I think we're landing soon, I should end this off quickly because I am not looking forward to waking Matthew up. He put up such a big fight earlier. And that was just his attempts at stopping me from buying him a drink!_

_Goodbye my awesome diary._

_Gilbert Beilschmidt_

I put my awesome diary inside my jacket for the time being.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the flight attendant, I believe her name is Alexis, announces, "we will be making our descent in about five minutes, please make sure your seat belts and tray tables are in their full upright position." I put up my table. "Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is placed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you."

When Alexis steps down, I decide to wake Matthew up. I shake his arm gently.

"Mattie, wake up," I try to coax him into waking up.

No reply.

"Mattie~"

This time, I got a reaction. He smushes his face into my arm to block the light from getting in his eyes. I sigh, this is going to be difficult – he's so cute when he did that! ...In an awesome way of course…

"Matthew," I tried to be serious, but I don't think it worked, it just resulted in my arm being crushed a bit more. "The plane is landing."

Why is he doing this to me?

I try thinking of another way to wake him up, while Alexis walks down the aisle, checking that everything is in order. I'm repeatedly poking Matthew's shoulder to wake him, when Alexis stops at our row.

"Aw, you two are so cute," she starts, "but if you could, can you please wake your boyfriend up, it would be pre-"

"I'm not his boyfriend!" Matthew jolted awake and his face was flushed a deep red.

"O-oh," the flight attendant was recovering from the shock of Matthew's quiet shout, he hand on her chest. "I'm sorry, I didn't know…"

"Nah, it's fine," I reassure her. "Thank you for waking him up though."

She didn't say anything after that, she just walked away in a rush, embarrassed.

"Gilbert, what's going on?" Matthew was rubbing his eyes, probably from the light.

"The plane is landing soon, and before you do anything else, I would like my arm back."

"No."

"You know, for someone who was so quick to say we aren't together, you sure are clingy," I let out my signature laugh after seeing the blond flush further. He still didn't let go of my arm though. It's not like I'm complaining or anything though.

The conversation ended at that, and soon, the plane was safely on the ground. I nearly had to sit on Matthew to prevent him from running off the plane as soon as he possibly could. Luckily he stopped his struggling as soon as I threatened that.

The second Matthew made it into the airport, he spun around like one of those awesome Disney princesses.

Don't judge! Those movies are amazing!

Anyway, I had to cut his small celebration of being alive short because we were running late. I know what you're thinking: 'The awesome Prussia, late? Oh my, how could that be? He's much too awesome to be running late for anything!' Or maybe you're like West and you're thinking: 'I'm so disappointed in you, your awesomeness."

"Mattie!" he turned around to look at me for the first time since we landed. "We're late, we need to leave now. You can finish your 'I can't believe I'm alive' celebration later."

"Alright…" his doubts are still clearly written on his face, but I am sure to fix that while we are still in Germany.

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**A/N: Hi, so yeah, I'm not dead. I greatly apologize for the extremely long wait I put you through. I know that this chapter is very short, and half-assed, but you all know how stressful school can be, and I was assigned three projects to complete for winter break. On another note, the Holidays are here! I really wanted to publish something before Christmas (or at least before 2015 ended), so that may be part of the reason why this may seem a bit rushed.**

**Happy Holidays to you all, and if I don't publish anything before December 31st, happy New Year!**


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